It seems like all “new” yoga styles take their beginning in this or previous century and most of them are not following any classic yoga tradition. People invent new poses and new yoga application, serve different population and needs. It kinda a good thing, but
On the other hand yoga has been very strict in lineage and tradition and these is no place for creativity. Strict following rules and guru’s teaching is a must.
Please share your thoughts on this…
In the material world most things can be perfected. But the truth is the truth and is probably perfect as it is, so people still living in the world will think that it can be made better and hence new styles pop up, it can also be out of the ego poeple create new styles I dont think a yogi would like to take credit as a yogi knows he is not the doer. Also the reason this happened could be that this was the only way to make people aware and it is the plan of cosmos. If genuine yoga would have come maybe it would have been to deep for people and they would not embrace yoga as they did. There is always a deeper meaning hidden beneath. Even what could be seen bad at first could later be seen as a step needed to take into the right direction.
In this era strict following isnt needed just make sure you decided firmly to become a better person and follow that strictly. The thought has the power to transform you. Everthing starts with the thought.
A good thought for discussion.
In my view and experience, yoga provides a few visible tools and techniques, but also provides not-so-apparent rationale, the underlying theory or premises. Those who get caught up with the tools, but ignore the logic do themselves a disservice. Because the tools separated from the unifying principles allow them to innovate and improvise randomly, at will. They lose sight of the end and really cross the line by falling victim to their own air of freedom. Then it doesn?t take long before the $$ start ringing, marketing hype comes handy and a new style is born. A lot of this is greed and self-hypnosis as many sincerely believe that ?they have arrived?. Not knowing that their style is just one aspect or part of yoga may be ignorance; but, to know and to hide it from the gullible aspirants is unpardonably criminal.
But such are the ways of our country that we yearn for celebrities and the ends are so glorified that the means are listless. In the land of its origin, excepting the new fakes, the enlightened ones do not always wear yoga clothes nor have any public profile. More ahead on the path makes them more humble. Their pursued path does not require branding. Its worth or validity does not depend on competing with any other. If required, they meet eligible students and train them mostly free of cost.
Having said this, the so called traditions in yoga is a myth too. Anything that binds an aspirant to a path leaving no choice of personal experiments with truth is not yoga. Any guru that guarantees delivery of the ultimate truth or brings about nirvana by following certain rules is certainly not authentic. New interpretations, discussions and sharing of experiential wisdom is yoga?s pre-requisite. It is truly self-realization where one arrives at the ultimate truth all by oneself. Given the plurality of life situations, it is obvious that each individual?s path will be unique. The guiding candle does not just light up a few feet of path in front, but in yoga that path gets created then and there. Those who have held yoga traditions as the writings on the wall have seen the same walls collapsing on them eventually.
I see a great future for yoga if the West was to rise up from its greed and commercialization, rescue itself from a phobia for spirituality, grow from the self-imposed limits of yoga-styles and approach yoga with their studious and disciplined way; and if the East doesn?t wait to copy the West, but rises above the self-imposed veneration for traditions, overcome the years of inertia and self-admiration with rigorous practice to tell the world about the Sanskrit nuances. I am sure this is happening.
Yoga must (and does) grow.
In that growth, Yoga must be held by those with integrity so that its aforementioned growth retains its essence.
both yoga and rock climbing have gained much more attention and practitioners in the last 20 years. i have noticed climbers hating on other climbing styles, yoga practitioners hating on other yoga styles. i feel that as climbing and yoga (or anything for that matter) gains more popularity, it will also gain more idiots, more posers, more people looking to make money, but it will also gain more intelligent people, more genuine people, more psyched people. my point is that as anything gains popularity, it will no doubt have more of everything. ultimately i see the fact that yoga is growing as a good thing, but people can only soak up the ancient wisdom to their personal limit, and personal level of awareness. “power yoga” classes may inspire someone and help them practice yoga into their next life more so than the Upanishads, and that is fine.
as far as tradition vs creativity goes…hatha yoga pradipika states alcohol as one of the destroyers of yoga…then rodnee yee’s wife endorses wine and says drinking wine is a moment of pranayama…i think only she can figure that one out
Citymonk,
I agree with what you wrote in the first paragraph as… it is happening… we yoga teachers… are witnessing it. It is ok to happen so as newness or changes taking places in terms of Yoga styles, asanas, etc. …with a change of time. Yoga… too, like other disciplines is a dynamic one. Moreover, we can best bring the practitioners into Yoga and allow them to start reaping its benefits by satisfying what they need, but …
I believe it is our responsibility, i.e. specially “Yoga teachers” and "the Institutes runnining Yoga teacher training, to introduce the practitioners with Yoga traditions, types, etc. and; thus Yoga in its true sense. And this forum is one of such a mediumship.
[QUOTE=CityMonk;78029]It seems like all “new” yoga styles take their beginning in this or previous century and most of them are not following any classic yoga tradition. People invent new poses and new yoga application, serve different population and needs. It kinda a good thing, but On the other hand yoga has been very strict in lineage and tradition and these is no place for creativity. Strict following rules and guru’s teaching is a must. Please share your thoughts on this…[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=bluegreen;78059]
as far as tradition vs creativity goes…hatha yoga pradipika states alcohol as one of the destroyers of yoga…then rodnee yee’s wife endorses wine and says drinking wine is a moment of pranayama…i think only she can figure that one out[/QUOTE]
hahaha:)) girls night out: lets move the prana on friday night! meybe we can hook up with some sadhakas and hit the kundalini few times:)))
[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;78036] Anything that binds an aspirant to a path leaving no choice of personal experiments with truth is not yoga. Any guru that guarantees delivery of the ultimate truth or brings about nirvana by following certain rules is certainly not authentic.[/QUOTE]
I agree. As humans grow and evolve, so too must our systems in order to accommodate our growth.
Well, im a a big fan of traditions, but sometimes, in my own practice, something happens and i feel like i’m doing something that is very natural and has a good flow (asana, kriya, pranayama, etc) but it is different form the ancient teaching… im just wondering if deviations from traditional practice will bring the same promised in the ancient texts benefits …
CitiMonk,
We need to look at the ancient times, when traitions were not traditions yet. The practitioners were essentially scientists of those days and their own selves were their labs. Their truth was evolving too, much the same way today’s science does.
A scripture gives an appearance of perfection because it belongs to such a distant past. Not all scriptures are alike. In the context of yoga, undisputed acceptance is only awarded to Bhagwad-Geeta and Yoga Sutra. The rest either present certan specific aspects (like today’s styles) or speculative theories based on certain premises. In fact, studying them provides good perspective of progressions and a time-line over which this ancient wisdom evolved.
Our difficulties today are many. Sanskrit, the language of the scriptures is not used anymore. (In India we were lucky to learn it in schools, but it is not in daily use anymore) Many people take anything in Sanskrit as sacred as mantras. Some times we also take any scripture and accept it as the final word.
Secondly, our lives are a lot more materialistic, while this scientific community of the ancient times used to be groomed for the research work in much less hostile environment.
Thirdly, the most distinghushing part of yoga traditions is that blind adherance is not intended or expected. All truth is to be self-realized. So, all apparent assertions in the scriptures are actually hypotheses given for self-validation.
Long and short, your experiencing the flow and a sense of doing something right is of paramount importance. Even though there is no need to invent the wheel, we have to experiment, adapt, fine-tune, tweak and personalize. In doing so, we are not betraying the scriptures, but rather following their “traditions” of experimenting with the truth.
[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;78102]CitiMonk,
We need to look at the ancient times, when traitions were not traditions yet. .[/QUOTE]
true…but for some reason they become traditions…something that provides order, relief, success, or other goodie has become a tradition…other things that are useless have dispeared in the vastness of history
You are right. But with the passage of time, what inevitably creeps in is some blind following, some dekay, some vested interests, some variations when the baton is passed, at the micro level. At the macro level, times change, cultures evolve, languages shrink/ expand, symbols vary and the context changes.
I agree that good traditions stand the test of time. But, corrections are needed not just welcome. The proviso is, one who can correct a tradition has to be as visionary as the authors of the traditions once were. Hope you see my point.
[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;78256]You are right. But with the passage of time, what inevitably creeps in is some blind following, some dekay, some vested interests, some variations when the baton is passed, at the micro level. At the macro level, times change, cultures evolve, languages shrink/ expand, symbols vary and the context changes.[/QUOTE]
A story on blind following…
Monks used to meditate and chant every morning. One monk’s cat meowed and climbed on people, bagged for food during morning meditation and chanting. One day he decide to tight a cat to the pole, so they could do their ceremonies and wont be destructed by the cat.
Time went on.
The owner of the cat had deceased. The cat has died.
Monastery was frustrated. The monks were so used to capturing and tightening the cat to the pole that they could no longer do the ceremony without it. No one remember how the tradition had started thought…
They had to capture a new cat to complete their morning prayers:)
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;78058]1. Yoga must (and does) grow.
what would you consider an yogic “essence” that should remain regardless of era to come ?
[QUOTE=CityMonk;78250]true…but for some reason they become traditions…something that provides order, relief, success, or other goodie has become a tradition…other things that are useless have dispeared in the vastness of history[/QUOTE]
I agree nicely said
Peace cheers
Truth is truth
The science of Yoga would not change because it is based on dharma, eternal laws of the universe. Techniques will change however.